Coin sorting machine



March 1, 1938. A. E. ZIERICK COIN SORTING MACHINE Filed Nov. 2, 1932 3 Sheets-Shet l INVENTOR.

WITNESSES March 1, 1938. 4 Z K 2,109,658

COIN SORTING MACHINE Filed Nov. 2; 1952 I s Sheets-Sheet 2 WITNESSES i INVEN T OR March 1, 1938. ZlERlcK 2,109,658

COIN SORTING MACHINE Filed-Nov. 2, 1952 s Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Mar. 1, 1938 UNITE S'ir t'lS ATENT orrler.

Claims.

This invention relates to a device for sorting coins or tokens and may have a wide range of utility for sorting other articles of a circular or spherical contour in accordance with their diameters and the following description may be more readily understood by referring to my Patent No. 1,979,659, November 6, 1934, entitled Coin sorting machine, which discloses a mechanism having a bifurcated turntable with a similar sorting means disposed separately on a lower turntable, while this invention describes a device having the separating, sorting and discharge functions performed on a single plane or turntable.

An object of the invention is to provide a coin sorting machine, wherein centrifugal force is utilized in impelling coins from a centrally located hopper, to flow in a steady stream at high speed and be mechanically separated and sorted while centrifugally being discharged into their predestined stations or chutes.

Another object of my invention is to provide a coin sorting machine in which the possibility of injury to the coins is eliminated and the wear on them due to sliding is reduced to a minimum.

Another object of the invention is to provide a coin sorting machine in which the coins and coin handling mechanism may optionally be rendered visible while in operation and immediately accessible for the removal of siugs.

Another object of the invention is to provide a coin sorting machine to operate quietly at high speed, sorting a maximum amount of mixed coins in a minimum period of time.

Another object of my invention is to provide a coin sorting machine which is small and compact due to its efiiciency, and which may be power driven economically.

A further object is to provide a coin sorting machine wherein the oiling system requires replenishment only at very long intervals.

Further and a more general object is to provide a coin sorting machine of simple and practical construction which will be durable, fool proof, positive in action and economical of manufacture.

These and other objects and advantages with certain novel combinations of arrangements will be more readily apparent from the following description and detailed drawings, wherein:

Figure l is a vertical sectional view through the novel coin sorting machine embodying the invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional plan view thereof, on the staggered line 2-42 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a sectional plan view on the staggered line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a detail fragmentary plan of a sorting lever unit showing a modified form of structure to that which is contained in Figure 3, while Figure 5 is a fragmentary vertical-section, taken on the staggered line L4 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary enlarged vertical detail of a separating roller lever unit taken on line 55 of Figure 3, while I Figure 7 is a fragmentary'plan view of Figure 6.

Figure 8 is an enlarged view of the cam roller til shown in Figures 1 and 3.

Figures 9, 10 and 11 are vertical details viewed on lines l-1, 8--8 and 9-9 respectively, shown in Figure 2.

Figure 12 is a vertical view taken on line ill-4 0 of Figure 11.

Like parts are indicated by similar characters of reference throughout the various figures of the drawings forming a part hereof.

It is obvious at the onset that the mechanism described in the present instance is explanatory of only one embodiment of the invention, in that the principles of the invention are by no means limited to the particular mechanism described herein, or are the drawings to be interpreted in a limited sense in the application of the principles in practice.

The body [2 of the machine is shown in the drawings as a casting of general dished formation supported on legs 10 and at its outer periphery H is skirted with an apron l3 integral with the casting. An upper circular casting member [5 is provided with a flange l6 for securing by screws or otherwise to the body l2 near the outer periphery H. The inner walls of the upper member l5 are curved as I! rising inwardly to form a circular opening at the top with an axial facing 18, for supporting a series of diametrically opposite arms forming a supporting spider for the hopper base casting l9. With the exception of the arms the aforementioned circular opening would be entirely unobstructed permitting a good View of moving parts under the hopper. These arms are best made integral with the hopper base, serving to support the depending circular walls 2! and 22 which are connected to each other by a spiral or curved wall 41. The lower edge of the wall 22 has a portion removed as at 23 which is the discharge opening in said wall 22 below said hopper and adjacent said spiral wall as shown in Figure 2. The wall 2| has a portion removed to provide a discharge opening 24 for the coins entering at 23. The coins emitted from the hopper opening 23 are impelled to travel out of the adjacent chamber at 24 as hereinafter more fully described.

The hopper 25 from which the mixed coins ravitate, is secured by screws as at 26, clamped to the arms 20, with the inner periphery flush with that ofbase casting and circular wall E9. The hopper includes an integral deflector 27 at the base of its conical portion 28, and an adjustable knife or plate 29 for controlling the amount of coins to be fed to the lower chamber. The knife 29 may be suitably adjusted to any depth within its slot 32, and the degree of adjustment may be fixed by a wing nut 33. The hopper is also integrally formed into an extended tray portion 30 on which the mixed coins are massed; this tray portion being provided with openings 3| for shedding dust.

The circular walls 2| and22 have their lower edges faced to just clear the turntable 34. On the underside of the turntable a vertical shaft is secured and is supported by a thrust ball bearingtfi recessed for retaining lubrication. The shaft is journaled in the hub bearing 3?, which is integral with the body i2 and at its lower end said shaft 35 is secured to and driven by a spiral gear 38 thus revolving the turntable and the parts secured thereto.

Within the enclosed chamber of the circular wall 22 a conical distributor 39 rotates, which is integral with the turntable 34. The frictional cont-act of any coins upon the distributor carries them around; inducing centrifugal force to impart impetus which is in addition to the already present gravitational influence caused by the conical slope. The combined forces exerted on the coins carry them through the opening 23.

The turntable casting 34 includes near its outer periphery a plurality of retainers circularly arranged; each comprises a fixed member 4! and movable member 48, best .seen in Figure 8. These retaining members assist in sorting by carrying the coins to their proper points of discharge to the chutes, hereinafter more fully described in which each coin according to size and denomination isheld, later to be released by the movable member 40 of said coin sorters into its respective chute in which each coin according to size and denomination as predetermined is released by the movable member 40 of said coin sorters into its respective chute.

Registering with these coin retainers are a plurality of coin separator rollers or detents 42 which are circularly arranged to form a train, each of said rollers 42 is so spaced as to bear a definite relationship to one of the fixed coin retainer members 4|. The spaces 62 between the separator rollers are gateways or divisions for coins to pass through to the coin retainers, allowing a reduced number of coins to each coin retainer.

'W hen the mixed coins are forced from the distributor through the slot 23, they pass flat and streamlike on the turntable which revolves in a clockwise direction best seen in Figure 2. The tendency of the coins is to hug along the wall i'lto its end 2la due to centrifugal action and upon reaching the take off member 43 after travelling along the inner face 43a thereof, travel outwardly into the coin retainers. The coins upon emerging from the take off 43 are pushed by the separator rollers or detents 42 and normally carried along with them thus, being spaced more openly. or separated, :asindicated by acoin which is blocked from radial travel by a stationary coin deflector member 44 shown in Figure 2 and also detailed in Figure 10 which is a fragmentary section at 88 Figure 2. The coin rolls or slides, due to centrifugal action along and beyond the wall of said member 44 after which it may resume radial outward movement. The takeoff member 43 is preferably of yielding material and narrower than the thickness of the circular wall 2! to which it is secured permitting the detents 42 to pass very close to the outer surface of takeoff member and to the coins traveling on its inner surface as they leave its thin end.

As the coins progress radially from the point where they emerge from the hopper and opening 23 the increased circumference and consequent increased distance between the coins thus separate each coin from the other. In some cases a coin will clear the separating rollers and reach the coin deflector 44, later to be overtaken by a separating roller or detent 42, Figure 2 of the drawings, and thence be impelled thereby as illustrated by the coin 45.

The spiral wall 41 forces any coin such as 48, which may have become centered on one of the rollers 42 to become dislodged thereby permitting it to progress radially.

The tendency of the coins in emerging from the take-off is not to dart exactly tangentially but to swerve or curveinward considerable due to surface friction. It is impossible for a coin to follow directly behind a roller, on account of the difference in their speeds, therefore it is obvious that a roller will always overtake a coin to push it, or to carry it along. The coins from the takeoff member usually alight in the position shown by coin 45 which is adjacent to the stationary coin deflector member 44 detailed in Figure 10, the latter serving for the purpose of deflecting and incidently delaying the coins briefly which purpose is hereinafter fully described. The coin deflector depends from the circular member l5, suitably fastened and disposed to just clear the turntable surface and the flexible members 55, while the inner side thereof clears the rollers substantially to allow the latter to efiicaciously push the coins as they are centrifugally and circularly impelled along the inner face of the deflector.

The coin 45 is relatively the size of a dime and in arriving about as shown; where it barely had touched the deflector, it is also shown as being simultaneously overtaken by a roller, to be carried or pushed forward to the end of the deflector. If two additional coins of the same denomination were in a train to follow the course of coin 45, the first coin normally would lodge in front of the roller that directly follows the one occupied by coin 45. The second coin in this train would be thwarted by the first coin, since the first coin would be the one to contact the deflector member first, and receive a jar which would be transmitted to the second coin, checking the speed of the latter. At the same time the roller following the one occupied by the coin 45 would impinge the second coin, passing it, to push the first coin with a full purchase towards the end of the dc fiector.

The second coin of a train usually after having been pushed aside by a roller will eventually find its way through the rollers that are unoccupied, or be deflected against the curvature 41, which is hereinafter more fully described.

If there would have been no deflector member used, the speed of the coin train could not have been checked, in which case'the two dimes would then have both dodged through the same roller spacing 62.

However, with the coin deflector 44 in place, it is obvious that the coins when normally spaced before they leave the take-off, will be usually kept separated by the action of the deflector, while coins of a larger diameter due to their size have less chance of repeating into a roller diversion in this manner. The deflector in most cases prevents the coins from repeating into the same divisions, but there are exceptions and when repeating does occur, certain mechanical means are provided for the removal of surplus coins from the coin retainers or sorters 64 which is hereinafter further described.

It often happens that a coin may become centrifugally balanced or poised on a separating roller as indicated by the coin 46. The balance is not critical, therefore vibration does not dislodge them. To prevent this from being serious the roller simply carries the coin against the curved wall 41, and due to the rollers being yieldingly mounted on pivotal levers as illustrated by coin 4B, the latter is dislodged with a smooth rolling action and without impact from its poised position, and is deflected towards the immediate coin retainer. The curvature of the wall 4'! is such that it will favor the coins in their deflected path to be rolled flat-like forwardly and out wardly.

The rollers 0r detents 42 are best illustrated in detail in Figures 6 and 7 which shows them to be rotatably mounted on a shoulder screw stud 43 carried by a lever 50 annularly mounted to form a train of levers on the under side of said turntable 34 each pivotally secured by a shoulder screw 5|, and held inwardly by a torsional spring 52 suitably secured. As each of said levers is mounted on the underside of the turntable the latter is provided with a plurality of arcuate segmental slots 53a to allow the shoulder screw studs 49 to project therethrough permitting said rollers 42 to swing about said screw 5i when said spring 52 is overcome.

When the coins emerge from the take-off member 43 they are spread by the rollers or detents 12 where they are centrifugally forced outwardly in their respective divisions to lodge on the immediate coin retainers as indicated by a coin 53 which is about to be so retained, said coin 53 is forced to travel at the speed of the turn table by the fixed member 41.

The fixed member has an extended inwardly disposed flexible addition or divisional member 55, the front faces of both being on a straight line almost radially with the turntable and the inner ends thereof are adjacent to the rollers or detents 42, when they are at the outer limits of the arcuate slots 53a. The fixed member 4! of the coin retainers are secured to the turntable by any suitable means and the flexible portion 55 may be made integral or secured thereto as shown.

The coins may roll flatwise with their edges bearing along the forward driving face of the divisional members 55 and 41 as at 53, where the movable member 40 is shown as not having quite reached the full blocking position. Normally all coins will reach this point to hit the stationary gm'de rail 54 and are blocked centriiugally or radially while being revolved by the turntable clockwise until the movable member 49 has reached its full blocking position as shown by coin 56, whereupon the utility of the guide rail is no longer necessary. If by any chance a second coin should double into any division such as at 57, this coin will become dislodged since its edge farthest from the center of the turntable is resting against the adjacent edge of the first arrived coin which in turn is bearing against and rolling on theguide rail'54 due to a combination of friction and centrifugal force and is too unsteady for the second coin to be held against its edge. Should two coins succeed in remaining edgewise disposed long enough to reach the deflector finger 58, the inner coin radially will be tripped by said deflector finger, said deflector finger dislodged from its path later whereupon it is centrifugally impelled from the turntable by referring to Figure 2 of the drawings it will be seen that the coins are moved radially inwardby the movable member 40. The deflector or finger 58 upon being struck by a coin either throws the coin by rebound due to impact and the flexing of the spring of the flexible member 55 out of its position behind the coin in its proper position or is assisted by the yielding or flexible finger 55 in dislodging it. After being dislodged such misplaced coin passes beyond the member 40 and is thus permitted to be thrown outwardly after passing the rail '54, then to be caught by the chute 6601.

In Figures 11 and 12 is shown the finger 58 the lower end 58a of which is disposed about flush with the top surface of the turntable, which is provided with a shallow annular groove 59 for clearance to avoid scraping contact with the end of the finger. The deflector stud screw 5! is radially disposed in the wall 2 I, pivotally securing the finger 58 by the deflector hub 58b said finger 58 is held against a stop pin 59a by a torsional spring 60, the ends of the latter being suitably secured. The spring furnishes the deflector finger with resiliency, to yield to the impacts from dislodging the surplus coins.

My device, shown on a reduced scale, is designed for sorting United States coins from dimes to fifty cent pieces in size. The deflector finger 58 is so arranged in relation to the coin retainers that two dimes placed endwise as shown in front of deflector finger 58 will just project inwardly toward the center of the turntable far enough to reach the annular groove 59 for the dislodgment of the inner coin by said finger 58.

A fifty cent piece is shown in dot and dash outline on the same retainer occupied by the two dimes and held by the movable member 40. The 55 cent piece it will be seen, will pass the finger 58 without being dislodged, since the machine is made to clear single coins up to this size. From the foregoing it is apparent that surplus coins are removed by the deflector finger 58 regardless of size. The weight of the larger coins prevents them from doubling up, since this characteristic makes them slow in motion, due to slipping on the turntable and therefore these large coins are more readily separated by the detents 42 which force them to travel without slip after engaging them.

The movement of the coins, in their travel on the revolving turntable 34 from their relatively stationary condition after passing through the opening 23 from which they emerge from the hopper 25, is at first slow, as the coins slip and as they progress the slippage is reduced. The smaller, lighter coins, after leaving the takeoff 43, pick up speed more rapidly than the larger coins. The detents which catch the coins and force them to travel at the speed of the turntable therefore are more effective in separating the large coins, which are thus each accelerated in speed to a greater extent at this point. The smaller coins accelerate relatively less at the point of take off as they gain speed with the turntable, without being forced by the detents. It may be due to their size and weight also that they are disarranged by the larger coins, and thus more apt to roll in a vertical position, later to be knocked over on their flat surface by the over head deflector 96.

However, all coins are in turn forced totake their positions one coin at a time in the coin separators from which they are discharged into their respective chutes 66.

The coins that are prevented from so doing are carried on. to be thrown into the surplus chute 660. due to not being retained in the coin sorters.

All coins subject to deflection or rebound forces, which retard their passage through the rollers are delayed coins, while others pass through instantaneously. It is possible for a delayed and instantaneously lodged coin to be doubled up on the same coin retainer, with one forward of the other. The forward coin will be centrifugally stressed against the guide rail '54, being pushed along up to its end where the effective blocking of the guide rail ceases and the coin is centrifugally impelled from the turntable.

From the foregoing it is apparent that all surplus coins are removed from the divisions around the coin sorters by centrifugal and mechanical means. The coins carried by the coin sorters are held in place by the movable members 46 and supported in this position by the cooperating fixed member'd I. The movable member 56 moves back and forth in a segmental slot once each revolution of the turntable, and the sorter shown carrying the coin 56 is in full blocking or closed position at this point of the revolution of the turntable 34.

It is apparent that as the movable members All are gradually opened and separated from the fixed members 4i that the coins will be centrifugally discharged through the spaces 64 between the fixed and movable members at the exact moment said members are separated even slightly greater than the diameter of the coin retained by each pair of members.

It is obvious that the gradual opening of the movable members permits the centrifugal discharge of the smallest coins first, whereupon it is apparent that by increasing the opening gradually the next size coin is released and so on until the full opening has effected the discharge of the largest coin.

Coin receiving chutes or pockets 6% are sta tioned around the turntable for receiving the coins that are mechanically sorted and centrifugally discharged through the spaces 64 of the coin retainers as aforesaid. The surplus coins which may not have been sorted are discharged into the first chute 66a made large enough for the accommodation of all sizes of coins. Thereafter the chutes are arranged in consecutive order of sizes in which the chute and pocket for the smallest coin comes first, in accordance with the gradual opening of the movable members 46, the first one being for dimes, the second for pennies, the third for nickels, the fourth for quarters and the fifth for half dollars.

When the turntable rotates and the coin retalners reach the end of guide rail 54, the efiective full blocking position is reached by the movable blocker with respect to the fixed member 4|. Full blocking remains in effect until the coin retainers reach a position opposite the surplus coin chute when they begin to gradually open to allow the release of a dime for centrifugal discharge, darting somewhat tangent from the point of release, directly into the second chute 66 reserved for dimes, best viewed in Figure 3.

In the same manner upon further movement of any coin retainer, the movable blockers 40 are gradually opened further allowing the coins to be released progressively according to sizes at the predetermined point of the revolution of the turntable, to be discharged into their respective chutes as illustrated.

All the chutes 66 to 6611 inclusive are in the present embodiment secured to the flange l6 by screws 67 and are provided with rubber paddings 68 best viewed in Figure l. Coins upon being discharged from the coin retainers enter the chutes 66 through openings 69 in the flange 10, which is also provided with inwardly projecting arms H which act to guide the coins into the openings 69 and adjacent chutes or pockets 66.

The particular mechanism which is employed for controlling the opening and closing of the movable members 40 is subject to variety of modifications and structural arrangements. The accompanying drawings illustrate a general form of lever and cam action for operating the movable members, and it is to be borne in mind that various other forms of levers and lever controlling means may be utilized.

The novel arrangement of the lever and cam mechanism permits their unit enclosement in a revolving and fixed annular casting or annulus l2 and 13 providing receptive means for a supply of lubrication and serves to exclude foreign matter, best viewed in Figure 3. The upper annulus 12 is secured through its flange by a series of screws 15 to the under side of the turntable 34. A plurality of pivotal levers 14 are securely pinned on pivot shafts l6 journaled in bearings to the lower flange of the annular casting or annulus 12. The free ends of the outside arms 74' of levers 14 are slotted at 18 to receive and removably clamp the movable members 40 each of which is secured in place by a screw 11. This slotted arrangement provides adjustment for the movable members 40 for their coordination in the sizing of coins which will be hereinafter more fully described. The lower portion of the pivot shafts 16 supports the inner levers or arms 19, the ends of which carry the rollers 80, rotatably secured by shoulder screws 8!, as shown inFigures 4, 5 and 8. In Fig ure 1 the lower or inner lever arms 19 are shown parted to illustrate them more conveniently. The lower annular casting or annulus 13 being stationary is secured through its flange 8| by the screws 82 to body casting [2. The upper edge of the annular castings 13 is provided with an integral inwardly flanged annulus or periphery 83 permitting the offset outwardly periphery or annulus 84 of the upper annular member 12 to freely revolve therein.

In Figures 1, 3, 4 and 5 the rollers 80 are best shown rotatably mounted on the inner lever arms and are guided by and forced to travel in an endless cam groove 85 formed in the upper surface of a somewhat oval shaped plate or cam 86 disposed around the hub 31 and secured to the bottom of the body member l2 by the screws 81. This cam groove imparts the-back and forth mo tion to the rollers 80 that actuates the levers outer arms carrying the movable member 40, and the movement induced by the cam groove coordinates with the proper sizes of the coins to be released at their proper points in the revolution of the turntable 34. To facilitate the interchangeability or to standardize the accuracy of the members 40 for a given size of opening in relation to the fixed member 4| at a given point of the revolution of the turntable 34, the lock screws 17 and the slots 18 are provided to regulate the point at which the coins are discharged into the pockets 66 as best seen in Figure 3.

In case that the lever train is to be operated without lubrication an arrangement as shown in Figures 4 and 5 is to be employed. The levers are identical in movement and radial length as those already described, except that the levers are of a one piece construction and the cam plate 86a may be made of some kind of anti-oil material to allow the rollers to follow through a dry cam groove.

Attention is directed to a modification of the fixed member Ma which is somewhat wider than the fixed member 4| already described. This modified member 4m shown in Figure 4 has an edge 4|bbeveled to permit the sliding over of the superfluous coins that may be misplaced thereon, to be discharged into the surplus coin chute 66a.

The means for driving the turntable may be either manual or power driven as shown. The turntable is driven by a spiral gear 88 enmeshed with the spiral gear 38 which is carried by the shaft 35. The spiral gear 88 is mounted on a shaft 89, the latter being held in a suitable bearing 95, which is in the form of an inverted bracket depending from the body member H2. The other end of the shaft 89 carries a grooved pulley 90 which is in turn driven by the motor pulley 92 through the belt transmission 9|.

The motor pulley member 92 is mounted directly on the armature shaft 94 of the driving motor 93, the latter being inverted for convenience in mounting on the underside of the body member 52.

When the turntable 34 is revolved, the inclined plate 95' is caused to vibrate, by disc 91 which is mounted angularly on the upper end of the shaft 35. The oscillations of said angularly mounted disc are imparted to bifurcated end of said inclined plate 95 which is pivotally mounted by a hinge 99 secured to the interior of the lower cylindrical portion of the hopper. The vibratory jiggling motion of the inclined plate 95 causes the coins from the hopper to slide and prevents them from jamming in entering the revolving parts of my device.

The motor causing the shaft 35 to revolve, carries with it the turntable 34, conical distributor 39, and the annular casting member 12 together with the levers l4 and I9 and the parts secured thereto.

Thus the levers 14 move in and out actuated by their respective lower portions F9 and cam rollers 88 which travel in the cam groove 85 as aforesaid. As each lever oscillates their respective movable members 45 permit the coins to discharge in the order of denominations in their proper chutes as previously explained. Although the opening of the movable members 40 allow the half dollar to be released in time for discharge into their respective chute 66b the movable members 46 open slightly more than necessary to allow oversize coins to be released, such coins being discharged as shown by coin 56a; which will be carried by the turntable around the outside of the guide rail member 54 to be centrifugally deposited into the surplus coin chute 66a.

At the point slightly past chute 66b the mov able members 40 have reached their largest opening, from which point they begin to shift back to full blocking position. This full blocking position blocking positions requires slightly less than a quarter revolution of the turntable 34, due to the shape of the cam groove. It is obvious that the cam groove curvature can be so designed that it will actuate the rollers which travel therein and parts secured thereto to operate the device as described.

When a coin upon leaving the hopper mouth 23 is forced into a vertical position and thus misplaced and begins rollingbartwheel-fashion, such coin is prevented from further verticalrolling by a plurality of diagonally disposed deflectors 24a which overturn the coin forcing it to lie flat on the turntable. These deflectors are shown diagrammatically in broken and dotted lines over the coin passageway on Figure l, and solid lines in Figure 2. The deflectors have an upwardly turned flaring on the side the coin enters. When a vertically rolling coin hits this overhead defiector it is swerved from the vertical and turned over on its side toresume its normal flatwise course on the turntable 34. To prevent a recurrence of the vertical rising of unruly coins, the number of such overhead deflectors used en route may be unlimited or may form a continuous ceilmg.

Toward the outer periphery of the turntable 34 an overhead deflector 96 is shown detailed in Figure 9, and superimposed in dot and dash outline 9% Figure 2. This deflector serves the purpose of keeping the coins flatly disposed, since they have a tendency to rise while being carried on the turntable. The overhead deflector 96 is resiliently mounted on springlike integral legs 96a secured in place by the screws 91 to the arms or the hopper base.

The springlike legs yield to cushion the shocks resulting from misplaced coins.

Under actual service conditions the machine operates substantially as follows:

The massed coins on the tray are pushed into the hopper, to slide down on the rotating conical distributor 39. The knife or plate 29 regulates the flow of coins, while the oscillating inclined plate 95 prevents them from jamming in the mouth hopper. The distributor 39 whirls the coins centrifugally out through the opening 23 onto the turntable 34 against the wall 2 I a. After being carried about three quarters of a revolution guided by the wall 2la, the coins reach the takeoff member 43 to dart out between the directing rollers 42 and are carried by the latter at the speed of the turntable 34 along the deflector plate 44, which normally serves to allow one coin to each roller. The rollers 42 being resiliently mounted on pivotal levers 50, yield to permit delayed coins to pass the curved surface 41 by a rolling action. All coins eventually are either singly lodged behind the coin retainers, or are eliminated by centrifugal action as surplus coins to be deposited in chute 66a.

Each of the movable members 40 of the coin retainers continuously move from full blocking to full open position to release the coin according to its diameter at its proper chute 66, each coin retainer returns empty and with its movable member closed to receive the next coin in the next cycle of operation as it emerges between the rollers 42 from the take-off member 43.

Thus in the foregoing description a coin separating and sorting invention is clearly illustrated and defined, which is based on a new mechanical and scientific principle entirely different from the conventional types now on the market. In the event that the coins while being discharged into their respective size pockets should require counting, a means for registering of same may be added just in front of each pocket. This registering device may be the conventional types now in use, consisting of a star wheel so arranged that whenever a coin passes, it contacts a prong of the star wheel long enough to register it.

However with the addition of a plurality of registering units on the foregoing coin sorting machine, it is. apparent that the main principles of the invention are not being altered or changed.

Also without being able to add further to the main theory of the present invention, the scope of refinement or additions may also include a recovery conveyor by means of which surplus coins are returned to the hopper from the surplus coin chute, to be recircuited. With. this arrangement an additional chute would have to be used for receiving the abnormally large coins, to be positioned after the last chute used for fifty cent pieces. The removal of the abnormal coins prevents them from entering the conveyor. This operation would obviate the manual returning of the surplus coins into the hopper.

Obviously, various changes and alterations may be made in the general form and arrangement of the parts herein described without departing from the spirit of the invention. Hence I do not wish to limit myself to the details set forth, but shall consider myself at liberty to make such changes and alterations as fairly fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention and illustrated its use, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a coin sorting machine having a revolving turntable, coin retainers comprising'a plurality of fixed and movable members circularly arranged thereon, and means operating said movable member, an inner circular disposed plurality of yieldable detents in approximate radial register with said fixed member, said detents spreading the coins and having spaces therebetween to permit the coins to pass to said coin retainers for separation and the lodging of said coins centrifugally in the fixed and movable members of said retainers for subsequent release by said movable members as predetermined.

2. In a coin sorting machine, a revolving turntable having a combination of yieldable detents and movable members, a deflector plate adjacent and outside the path of travel of said detents, said detents coacting with said deflector plate to spread and space the coins emerging from the central part of said turntable, a takeoff member stationarily disposed substantially tangentially to the path of coins travelling on said turntable and just clearing said passing detents.

3. In a coin sorting machine having a revolving turntable, a groove in said turntable and circular walls connected by a spiral wall to direct the path of travel of coins on the turntable and coin retainers for receiving said coins, a stationary yieldable finger having the end thereof engaging said groove and disposed to efficaciously dislodge surplus coins lying on a common plane and held by said coin retainers.

4. In a coin sorting machine having a revolving turntable and a plurality of coin detents yieldingly carried by said turntable, a stationary circular wall and takeofi to guide the coins concentrically thereagainst, a coin deflector disposed stationarily outwardly adjacent to the concentric pathway of said detents and outwardly of said circular wall and takeoff, said coin deflector arranged to concentrically guide coins deflected thereagainst permitting the coins to ride concentrically with the coin detents one at a time, said coins thereby being spread to pass separately between the coin detents after passing sai-dcircular wall and takeoff.

5. In a coin sorting machine having a revolving turntable comprising a plurality of coin retainers circularly arranged thereon comprising a plurality of fixed members and movable members, an inner angular-1y disposed plurality of coin detents yieldingly secured to said turntable and in approximate radial alignment with said coin retainers and substantially registering with said retainers permitting coins to pass through spaces between said coin detents in whirling with said turntable to spread the coins as they are forced centrifugally through the spaces between said coin detents into the coin retainers, means coacting with'said coin retainers for controlling the release of coins according to their diameters from said coin retainers.

6. In a coin sorting machine comprising a revolving turntable having a plurality of coin retainers annularly arranged thereon, an inner circularly disposed plurality of detent members yieldingly mounted on said turntable and each in radial relationship with each of said coin retainers, the detent members being arranged with spaces therebetween to permit the passage of coins through the spaces for spreading the coins in their path of travel to the coin retainers which consist of fixed and movable members and means for moving said movable members to permit the delivery of coins at a given point of each revolution of the turntable.

7. In a coin sorting machine comprising a revolving turntable having a plurality of coin detents for spreading the coins, a plurality of coin retainers receiving the coins after being spread comprising a plurality of fixed and movable members annularly disposed on said turntable, said movable members adapted to control the discharge of coins received therein after passing through said detents and actuating means for said movable members varying the distance between said fixed and movable members to vary the discharge of coins, according to their diameters.

8. In a coin sorting machine, a revolving turntable having a plurality of movable members, a plurality of coin detents annularly disposed in approximate registration with said movable members, said detents having yielding mountings under said turntable to absorb the shock of deflected coins impelled through the spaces between the passing coin detents.

9. In a coin sorting machine having a revolving turntable, a plurality of circularly arranged movable members thereon, an inner circularly arranged plurality of detents, each detent in approximate radial alignment with each movable member, said detents adapted to yieldingly contact coins and allow them to pass through the spaces between said detents, permitting coins to enter the movable members and a stationary guide rail in close proximity to said members to block the premature expulsion of coins until each member reaches full blocking position.

10. In a coin sorting machine comprising a revolving turntable having a plurality of coin retainers annularly arranged thereon, said coin retainers comprising a fixed and movable member, said movable member moving in relation to said fixed member, an inner circularly arranged plurality of coin detents yiel-dingly and swingingly secured to the underside of the turntable and having portions projecting above the turntable through slots therein to direct coins forced. centrifugally through the spaces between the coin detents into said coin retainers and means operating said coin retainers for releasing coins therefrom in predetermined order according to the size of each coin.

AMBROSE E. ZIERICK. 

